He said: "This type of character has never been depicted before. Nowhere in the history of television - think about this - have we seen a character go through this metamorphosis.

"When we look at our favorite television shows, they've all stayed the same; stasis is part of television lore. What drew people to television, was: 'Every week I'm going to see the same guy and I'm grateful for that.'

"But with Breaking Bad we were looking to do something that would upset people. Week after week they're watching, going, 'Ooh, what's he doing now?' and 'I used to like him, now I hate him - he was a good guy, now he's a bad guy and I'm confused and, grrrr, I'm pacing and …'"

He added: "The passion and the vitriol that this show creates, it's unprecedented."

Cranston also revealed that he only read scripts one week in advance of filming and had not asked how the drama was going to end.

He said: "Truthfully, I want this series to end exactly as Vince Gilligan wants it to end. I have no designs. I only read the scripts one week ahead of time. I'm along for the ride as well as the audience."

The final eight episodes of Breaking Bad air on Netflix in the UK and Ireland from August 12.